Typically, automotive door hinges have a fixed hinge member and one pivotable hinge member to enable a door of a motor vehicle to be pivoted between closed and open positions. In the closed position, the vehicle door is substantially parallel with the side of the vehicle and covers a door aperture. In the open position, the vehicle door is transversely oriented with respect to the side of the vehicle to leave the door aperture open. Conventional hinges are known to have at least two drawbacks.
The first drawback is related to the arc or path of the vehicle door as it is pivoted from the closed to the open position. Conventional hinges enable pivoting of the vehicle door in a rearward and inward motion wherein a front edge of the vehicle door moves rearward and into the door aperture. Such motion constitutes a limitation on vehicle designers in the design of the front edge of the vehicle door due to the possibility of interference with the side of the vehicle body when the vehicle door is pivoted between the closed and open positions. Thus, conventional hinges are typically not useable for a rear door having a leading edge with a double ninety-degree hem flange.
The second drawback is that such hinges are typically operative for pivoting an associated vehicle door only through about sixty (60) degrees of opening angle to provide access to the passenger compartment. Occasionally, greater access to the passenger compartment is desirable such as for ingress and egress of physically impaired passengers or loading and unloading of oversized cargo.